MusicOnline UK Teaching Notes - ABRSM Piano 2019/20 Grade 3 - A3

Bransle de la Torche

Michael Praetorius

ABRSM Grade 3 Piano 2019 - 2020.

Teaching Notes

You will need to be very careful with articulation in order to get the best mark in an exam. 

Generally the last note of a slurred group should be lifted, however the following are a list of some "tricky corners" that might need extra attention.

• Bars 1-6: Hold the long semibreves throughout the bar.
• Bar 7 and 15: Observe the LH rests and there should be a slight break between the 2nd and 3rd beat.
• Bars 9-14, 25-27: Observe the minim rests in the RH.
• Bars 17-19, 21 and 22: Notice the little staccato note on the 2nd beat of the LH of each bar.
• Bars 23 and 31: The staccato is in the RH ONLY on the 1st beat

In addition to the articulation, attention must be given to the natural accent of the music. Notice that it written as cut time and so has two beats in a bar, which gives the piece quite a "lively" character, rather than a "ploddy" one. In most cases, the natural accent is usually on the first beat of a bar and this piece is no exception. However, it may be tempting to accent the 2nd beat, on the final staccato notes of the phrases ending at bars 8 and 16. Avoid this temptation. Don't "stab" these staccato notes, but rather, lift them with a gentle bounce of the wrist.

Below you will find a Student Appraisal of one of my Skype Students playing this piece which might give you some further pointers as to what is expected in the exam.